Art of treating maize or indian corn.



' all of the varieties of 1 endocarp, which is corneous, and of the hull UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

ALEXANDER P. ANDERSON, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ART OF TREATING MAIZE 03 INDIAN CORN.

' Specification of Letters Patent; Patented Apr. 18, 1911. Application filed August 15, 1904. Serial N0. 220,873.

No Drawing;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER I. ANDER- soN, citizen of the United States, residing at 6022 Monroe avenue, Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Treating Maize or IndianCo-rn; and I do hereby eclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descripswelled or fluiiyr condition characteristic of ed corn. his characteristic property 18 confined to pop-corn and is not shared by ,any other species or variety of Indian corn.

The advantage which results in,a puifin and evertlng 0% rather than a popping the corn of my process is that in manufaction of the invention, such as will enable turing such pufi'ed corn, I am not confined others skilled in the art to which it apper- 0 h s comparat'vely expensive species of tains to make and use the same. corn, but that I may employ for this purpose My invention relates to the art of treating maize or Indian corn and it is applicable to Indian corn. oresaid invention is applicable either to to the same in a comonly the over, the whole grain or minuted form.

form of any species or variety of corn and moreover,

The object of my invention is to provide corn as now manufactured is that it cannot a dry method of swellingthe corn, and at. bepmduced 1n an unhu1led conditio a an the same time degerminating and hulling ObjGCtlOIl inherent 1n the present mo of the same in order to obtain a roduct which manufacturing the same, which, as above is peculiarly adapted for distilling purposes, stated 18 inseparable from the use of the unbesides furnishin a palatable, readily dihulled ams of pop-corn. In'such corn gestible food ro not. I popped y the old method the swelled and This invention involves a special applicaeverted interior of the kernel inevitably ention of my process which I have described Velops to a greater or less extent the fracin detail in my Letters Patent of the United tured pericarp or hull in such a way that it cannot be removed. This hull or pericarp is indigestible and otherwise objectionable, and hence it has always been a to devise a method whereby a hulled popped corn could be obtained.

All the above disadvantages of the old method of making popped corn are efiectually done away with by my invention, which furnishes a' readily available and practical States, No. 707892, and dated August 26, 1902, I have found that the treatment therein described is well adapted to the treatment of every description of maize or Indian corn not only in its whole condition, but also in the form of the comminuted gram.

Heretofore one particular variety of corn, namely what is known as pop-corn, has

been expanded or swelled by a dry method method of producing hulled puffed corn (as of roasting the same. However, this method contradistinguished from popped or everted could only be carried out with this particular ,corn) from every species or variety of corn species of corn in the form of the whole both in the form of the whole grain and in a comminuted condition.

In carrying out my invention I preferably heat any species or variety of corn or a mixture of them in the form 'of the whole unhulled grain or in a comminuted hulled or unhulled form or in the form of a mixture of any or all of them (all of which conditions are in the claims com rised under the term Indian corn), un er gas pressure, such for example, as air pressure and in a substantially air dry condition, to a point above the boiling point of the liquid contained in the starch-granules of the corn at normal atmospheric pressure, or, what is practically the same thing, above the boilgrain. It could not be applied to any other species of Indian corn or to the pop-corn in a broken or comminuted form. be reason of this, as I have ascertained, is due to thepeculiar nature and structure of he or pericarp of thespecies pop-corn which prevents the granule-liquid 1n the starchgranules from forming into as or steam under the action of heat until a pressure suflicient to cause such gas or steam to be suddenly or violently formed is attained, whereupon the pericarp or hull. gives way and the starch-granules of the grain are broken up, resulting in the everted and desideratum ing pointof water at normal atmospheric sure to which the corn is subjected, the pressure, for a period of time not long amount ntroduced being 'suflicient to fill enough to permit the escapeof too much of such cylinder from one-third to threethe granule liquid through the granulefourths full. This cylinder which is ar- 5 coatings by diffusion. As in m aforesaid ranged within or is adapted to be introduced 70 patent, the corn must be heated or a period into an oven is then hermetically sealed and of time not too longto char the corn and rotated in the oven. The temperature in not too short to complete the operation. The l the oven should be from 200 to 300 (1, time is largely governed by the nature of and at this temperature the cylinder is-to' each case and the taste to be given the be rotated andremain closed for from one- 75 product. I thereupon, while substantially half to two hours, during which time a maintaining the 'saidtemperature, reduce, pressure of about from 75 to 150 pounds to that is to say, partly or entirely remove, the the square inch, corresponding to from five pressure from the corn with'such rapidity to ten atmospheres is produced within the that the granule-liquid will suddenly burst cylinder. The corn under these conditions 80 or flash into gaseous form or steam, which should attain a temperature -not substanwill result in an instantaneous expansion or' tially less than 150 (1., nor more than 250 C., which I find to be the proper temperaexplosion of the'entire mass of the corn into several times its original volume, the said tures, to effect the proper pufiing Without a com being evenly and homogeneously charring. This resultant interior pressure swelled into a very porous mass. This exis, of course, a function of or dependent pansion is such that each of the grains of on the oven temperature. If the oven 'is corn or fragments of the comminuted corn kept at the highest temperature (300 C.) preserves its exact original shape, and .bea. pressure of about 150 pounds to the square comes a very much enlarged and porous copy inch or ten atmospheres will result in about 9 of the original body, provided the heat apforty-five minutes, by the expansion of the plied will be suflicient to render the granuleair within the cylinder. When the temmaterial sufficiently coherent after the experature of the oven is kept lower, say at plosion. The important point under all con- 200 0., the period of time necessary "to work up a pressure of ten atmospheres 5 ditions isto heat the corn under substan tially dry gas pressure, e. 9. air pressure, and would be correspondingly larger, say from one totwo hours. The period of time necthereafter, while the same is thus heated, to suddenly reducesaid pressure, for example essary to Work up to a certain desired pressuddenly opening the hermetically closed resure also depends upon the amount of maceptacle in which it was heated, sulficiently terial introduced into the cylinder. Thus 100 below the point at which the liquid boils at when the cylinder is one-third full the dethe temperature imparted, to cause the same sired pressuresay 125 pounds-is reached more rapidly than whenthe cylinder is say to suddenly gasify.

My invent-ion, therefore, broadly consldthree-fourths full. This of course naturally follows from the fact that the more ma- 105 40 cred, consists in heating Indian corn in a substantially air dry state to a c rtflln mterial there is Within the cylinder, the longer it takes to heat such material up to thesame perature under a substantial ly dry gas pressure and then quickly reducing the pressure temperature and that the gas pressure within the cylinder rises with the temperature."

to a point below that at. which the granuleliquid contained in the starch of the same The time of treating the corn, the tempera 11o ture of the oven and the amount of material boils at said temperature.

My invention also consists in the product to be put into the cylinder are dependent resulting from this treatment and in such upon the nature of the material and the other features, methods and steps as will character of the oven and must be deter- '50 hereinafter bedescribed and pointed out in mined by practice. The same is true of the 115 the claims. most desirable pressure to be applied in each I will now proceed to describe the manner case to produce the best results.

' When the material has been treated as exof carrying out my mventionin its preferred form. plained above and a pressure of from 100 The corn to be treated' may be any species to 150 pounds to the square inch has been 120 or variety of Indian 'corn or a mixture of attained the receptacle or cylinde-r is sudseveral species or varieties, and may be in denly opened, thus quickly reducing the the form of the whole grain or in a commipressure of the confined air to normal. The nuted or broken condition such as corn- .result will be a practically instantaneous grits, pearl-hominy or the like, or a mixture swelling of the corn thus treated so that 125 of any or all of the forms of the whole and the same has a greatly increased volume. broken grains: This corn in its normal air- In view of this sudden swelling it is impordry state I introduce into a suitable recep tant either to employ a receptacle Whose tacle, .such as a rotary cylinder sufliciently capacity is suflicient to contain the corn,

strong to withstand the internal gas preswhen swollen, or to provide-means for the 139 suddenly removed quick discharge or ejection of the same fronrthe vessel when the latter is opened, in order to allow suflicient space or he swelling of the corn at the moment of the reduction of the pressure.

The following examples willshow in detail how my invention may be carrie out in practice in what I consider its preferre Example 1: I fill a cylinder such as described in my aforesaid patent and provided with means to rotate the same twothirds full with shelled yellow dent corn in its'normal air-dry condition. The cylinder which was used by me was of cast bronze, was four feet long and six inches in diameter on the inside, while its walls' were onehalf inch thick. After being filled with the corn as aforesaid, the lid is secured on the cylinder in such a way as to form a ermetic closure and the cylinder is then rotated inside an oven whose initial temperature is 250 0., for somewhat less than one hour, say 47 minutes, the temperature of the oven rising during that period to about 280 0., and the corn which was introduced at normal temperature attaining a temperature of about 171 0 The temperature of the corn is indicated and ascertained during the process by a thermometer extending into the cylinder and into contact with the corn. Under these conditions the pressure in the was found to rise from norma atmospheric to 1.40 pounds per square inch. The cylinder is opened quickly, by quickly releasing the lid at the end of the above stated period, whereupon the corn will suddenly. expant or be puffed up to from 6 to 10 times its original volume, the individual grains of the same preserving substantially the hull being thortheir origlnal shape. oughly and effectually loosened and thrown to require merely a oil from the same, so as fanning operation to remove said hulls. Moreover, the corn has by this process been thoroughly degerminated, the germs eing also readily removed from the mass by a tanning operation.

Example 2: 1 fill the same cylinder as in Example 1 about two-thirds full with airdry yellow dent corn and then hermetically seal the same as above and rotate the same in a horizontal position in an oven for about forty minutes, the initial temperature of the oven being 285 0., and at the end of the operation about 290 0., the temperature of the same at the intermediate stages of the operation rising as high as 300 0 The temperature of the material is thus caused to rise from ordinary room 187 C. and the pressure within the cylinder rises to about 190 pounds At the end of the forty minutes the cylinder is suddenly opened and the pressure as whereby the corn is form:

temperature to to the square inch.

quickly puffed and discharged from the cylinder, itsvolume being increase from 8 to 10 times. The hulls are thrown ofl'f rom the grains and in the majority of the germs, which on account of the absence of starch do not expand, are now also separated from the ex anded endos erm so that the corn is not on y pufied an hulled but degerminated as well.

xample 3: The same cylinder as in the above examples is filled with 14. quarts of pearl-hominy in its'usua-l air-dry condition. The cylinder is then hermetically scale and rotated in an oven as above for about 35 minutes, the temperature of the oven rising from 285 0., initial tem erature to 305 0., at the end of the operation. The tem erature of the material is thereby cause rise from the normal (about 30 0.) to about 183 0., the pressure in the cylinder rising. from atmospheric to.165 ounds at the end of the operationybefore eing su denly released. hen the pressure is removed by suddenly opening the cylinder, the pearl-hominy pu s up into from 6 to 8 times its original bulk, each particle of the same retaining substantially its original shape, the same being also dehulled and degerminated. If the initial temperature of the oven is made sufiiciently high in the first lace, no increase in temperature of the oven while the cylinder is within it will be necessary to develop the required pressure in the cylinder.

The products resulting from the process by the fact that they are Indian corn w ch, whether in the shape of the whole grain, or broken up, as in the case of corn-grits, pear hominy or the like, exists in hulled, swelle and spongy condition, the structure 0 he starch granules of the same being obliterated broken up or disrupted substantially throughout ,the mass, the hulling being done concurrently with the swelling. They are thus radically distinguished from ordinary popcorn, as made according to the old methods, wherein the entire bull or glumeis retained and'enveloped by the expanded endosperm. As is' well recognized, this .is a very objectionablefeature in this article. Pop-corn expan ed according to any method is rendered unobjectionable in this particular inasmuch as the hull is v thrown off and easily removed by fanning or the like.

As a matter of fact all species and forms of unhulled corn treated according to my invention are hulled coincidently with the expansion, the hull or husk not expanding and being, therefore, den expansion of: the endosperm. It is only owing to the peculiar nature of the hull and corneous endocarp of op-corn that it has been possible to swell the same by the dry such grams thus disclosed are essentially distinguished thrown off by the sudv a spongy cellular di cult,

in a more perfect manner than hitherto at--- tainable.

Another-result of my process is where unhulled corn,

the protein substances of own awa Another important characteristic of my new article of manufacture is that the same retains in substance the original shape, though on a greatly enlarged scale, of the original grain or grain-fragment. This is important since 1t enables the article to be sirable to consumers. The new products are, moreover, readily identified by microscopic examination, 2'. e., there are no intact starchgranules present (when the expansion has been complete) and the whole grain becomes pith-like mass.

nal cell-structure of the grain and 'ture of the starch-granules contained in the oneycomb-like cells or cavities are made up of the particles formed and obliterated staroh-granules with the gluten, fiber and other materials present in the seed before the expansion of t e same.

The cavities or new cells in the resultant cereal product are honeycomb-like in that they are sealed, there being no openings between the cells. They are, however, generally of a uniform size or elongated as honeycomb. They resemble the cells lder-pith when the cell contents of the same have disappeared h an extent that other tests besides those of the microscope will have to be resorted to, to distincell-membrane of In new serial product while leaving intact the cell-membrane of elder-pith.

The new form of pufi'ed corn thus deflour which scribed may be eaten without further treat-- ment, belng readily permeated, emulsified and dissolved by the saliva and gastric juices. It may also be added to soup or dissolved in water to form gruel and the like, or it may be further cooked in a variety of ways.

The enlarged or expanded grains of corn are easily flattened between rollers (e. g. b running them through a wringer or the structurally, merely flattened. In this flattening there is sion of cavity-walls, etc., so that a microscopic examination would disclose the. same structure as in cereal grains according to my invention which have not been flathen crisp also be ground into a could be used for purposes of noplgishmen't by simply adding water or m1 The degerminating action which, takes place under this process, is a radically new one, and for the purposes corn is used, an important one. Thus it is a Well known fact that the oil in the germ of cooked corn wil turn rancid in time. Also when corn is for distilling purposes in the manufacvessel,

t e same.

2. The process of producing a degerminated Indian corn product which consists'in heating substantially air-dry unhulled Indian corn to about 187 vessel,

of whose starch granules has been disrupted substantially throughout its mass, the remains of said starch granules being con- 5 tained inthe cell-walls of the new article, the said cell-walls being readily dissolved or broken down in water.

degerminated dry spongy corn, the structure In testimony whereof I afiix my signature witnesses.

ALEXANDER P. ANDERSON. Witnesses:

FRANK L. A DERSON, Tnomas J. Evens.

to this specification, in the presence of two 

